Flanders Festival Ghent says it made decision over lack of ‘clarity’ about incoming conductor Lahav Shani’s views.
While Shani had spoken in favour of “peace and reconciliation” in the past, his attitude towards the “genocidal regime in Tel Aviv” was unclear given his role as the chief conductor of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, the festival organisers said.
Source? The article only confirms that he is Israeli, doesn’t mention his religion at all. Because it’s not fucking relevant.
Russian citizens who refused to condemning the Ukraine invasion have faced similar consequence. There’s plenty of precedent internationally for these sorts of decisions. The only difference here is that Israel has been purposefully supplying propaganda for decades to conflate antizionism with antisemitism.
Yes, he is Jewish. That is his ethnicity. Feel free to look it up.
Where in the article does it say that he refused to condemn anything? It actually says that he has made statements in favor of peace and reconciliation.
Belgian Foreign Minister Maxime Prevot said the cancellation seemed “excessive. …We must not confuse the Jewish community and Israelis with Netanyahu’s policies,”
The German Culture Minister Wolfram Weimer criticized the move as a “disgrace for Europe. …Under the guise of supposed criticism of Israel, a cultural boycott is being carried out here,” he said in a statement.
What’s happening in Gaza is Israeli policy, the majority of them support it.